When I first began exploring my study abroad options, Fordham’s Summer Immersion in Spain was the easiest choice. I had two goals in mind— to improve my Spanish skills and to travel somewhere unfamiliar. But what I ended up getting was so much more than just a language lesson in a far away place. Along with 20 other Fordham students from both the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, I traveled to Granada, Spain to study the Spanish language and culture. Overall, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. Nonetheless, it was not all sunshine and tapas.

The journey there was an undertaking in itself. If a 24-hour travel day wasn’t enough, there were many times I was yelled at in Spanish spoken so quickly that I could not comprehend a single word. Upon my arrival in Granada, I realized that these types of interactions were going to be a common occurrence.

My first meal with my host family was a lovely lunch of Paella, Spain’s most famous rice dish. I was very thankful that the food tasted great, because I noticed early on that my level of Spanish was far too amateur to contribute to the table’s conversation. Cold showers, no air conditioning and no cell phone service made the first day at my new home seem like a foreign language in itself. That night, the arrival of the other Fordham students helped me relax and remember that putting myself out of my comfort zone was one of the reasons I chose to study in Spain.

There’s a phrase we heard thrown around quite frequently that perfectly resembles the tranquil and harmonious nature of the population: “no pasa nada,” the Spanish equivalent of “don’t worry about it.”

Despite the amount of food and sangria consumed at all hours of the day, the people in Granada awed us with their amazing health and skinny legs. Immediately, we discovered that their secret is a way of life much more mobile than ours. In our first day, we clocked just under 10 miles, yet every single step was worth it.

I will never forget the first time we scaled the Albaicin and reached the Mirador de San Nicolas. After a 10-minute walk through the narrow winding streets dating back to the 11th century, we arrived at one of the most beautiful places I’d ever seen in my life. As flamenco musicians strummed their guitars, dancers stomped under the moonlight and couples embraced in the romance of it all, this plaza lit up as an oasis on a mountain overlooking Granada’s most beloved site— the Alhambra palace. Upon experiencing San Nicolas for the first time, I felt a unique sense of passion and livelihood that I would come to know as the magic of Spain.

Classes for four hours a day, educational excursions with our professor and language lessons with my host family did help improve my Spanish a great deal. But what had the most profound effect on me was simply the way people exist in Spain. There’s a phrase we heard thrown around quite frequently that perfectly resembles the tranquil and harmonious nature of the population: “no pasa nada,” the Spanish equivalent of “don’t worry about it.” The people of Granada are all about love, passion and not dwelling on the trivial things in life. Meeting a local always involves a hug, kiss and an invitation for food or drink. It’s a type of generosity and genuine care that we don’t get to experience often in the states.

To anyone who has the opportunity to do so, I cannot stress enough how valuable the study abroad experience can be. I learned so much about myself, my education and the beauty of life in one short month. Traveling to a far away place, speaking another language and adjusting to a new environment can be challenging, but the overall takeaway is beyond worthwhile. They say travel is the only thing you can buy to make you richer, and after my experience in Granada, I feel like one of the wealthiest people in the world.